Winter Skin Conditions of Psoriasis and Ichthyosis

Coconut

 

 Importance of Coconut:
        When you lift a whole coconut you will see that it has three marks on one side. These three marks are considered to be the three eyes of Lord Shiva himself. This is why the fruit is used in almost all pujas.

          It is said that coconut can help to full fill all the desires of the person worshiping it. You will often notice that the coconut is placed on a pot before puja is done. This is done as some consider the three marks on coconut as the marks of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. When you place the coconut the tridevs are requested to be a part of the puja. Unless these three gods become a part of the puja, no puja can be successful. They come and they bless your household. As long as the coconut is in the house these deities bless the household. Actually we will study about Tridevs in a separate article but they represent the three forms of nature – creator, preserver and destroyer – which completes and continues the cycle of life. This is why the coconut use in puja is kept for a year till the next puja comes. This coconut is never distributed as prasadam. It is offered to the flowing water along with the other things that were used in the puja.

Cannot imagine this, can you? Coconuts make the perfect offering, a holy fruit with a hard shell on the outside, soft juicy fruit inside and the coconut water is only second to nectar. Our typical aarti thalis or offerings to God, when we head to the temple, are as follows - flowers or pushpam, sweets or bhog, incense sticks, a holy cloth offering for god and of course, a coconut. Yes, you read the correctly. The coconuts, that we offer to the almighty as a part of our aarti thali is actual to save human beings from being slaughtered!

About Coconut:

Coconut is a fruit which belongs to the Cocos nucifera palm. This mature nut is one of the most used ingredients in the kitchens of India. Hundreds of coconut species are found all over India and its taste vary according to its soil alkalinity. Its outer part is of green in colour which turns brown as it matures. Underneath the hard shell is the white edible meat. Coconut is also known as ‘Nariyal’ in Hindi, Kobbari Bondam’ in Telugu, ‘Tenkay’ in Tamil, ‘Karikkin’ in Malayalam, ‘Thengina Kai’ in Kannada, and ‘Narikelera’ in Bengali. The freshly harvested coconut contains sweet water which is extremely beneficial for health. Coconut is a healthy nut that can be used safely as a food. It is mainly reaction free. The kernel is not only healthy but is also safe to be eaten during pregnancy.

Nutritious and healthy:

Coconut water is considered to be more nutritious and healthier than whole milk. It contains lauric acid which is considered equivalent to mother’s milk. It is naturally sterile as it permeates through the filtering husk. It also cures hangover. Coconut water has a natural isotonic beverage in the same level as that in the blood.

 Ayurved:

Ayurveda refers to coconut tree having been called Kalpa Vriksha; literally the tree that supplies all that is needed to live.

        Coconuts have a sweet taste. Something many of us crave. But a healthy sweet taste actually balances both Vata and Pitta dosha. The sweetness is a combination of the Earth and Water elements and carries cooling, grounding and nurturing qualities. The sweetness is very satisfying. If you drink coconut water you rehydrate and due to its sweetness and slight unctuousness it creates a sensation of satisfaction that you may not get from regular water. In Ayurveda it is said to remove excessive thirst. The consistency of coconut water carries an almost nectar-like quality. In many Hindu rituals a coconut is used as an offering. Sometimes broken to symbolize the breaking of our Ego and the juice offered to the Divine. The coconut water represents our mind-stuff and the coconut itself our skull.